


Give me your hand (Meet me halfway)

by Changdeol



Series: MG, canon compliant, drabble series [3]
Category: TharnType the Series (TV), เกลียดนักมาเป็นที่รักกันซะดีๆ | TharnType: The Series (TV) RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23792356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Changdeol/pseuds/Changdeol
Summary: There were probably better places for love confessions than the front of a noodle stall but Gulf wouldn't know - he went for it anyway.
Relationships: Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat/Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong
Series: MG, canon compliant, drabble series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704388
Comments: 5
Kudos: 131





	Give me your hand (Meet me halfway)

‘Oi, P’, what about this one? _The Godfather_ or _Casablanca_?’ Gulf couldn’t help but grin widely at what looked like an almost offended expression suddenly passing through P’Mew’s face.

‘How can you ask such a question? There is no comparison because they are both extremely different and amazing in their own right,’ P’ argued. He grabbed a spoon to start on the prawn _tom yam_ he’d almost forgotten about during the time their conversation had taken such an unexpected turn.

Gulf didn’t really know how they both ended up at a table on the food market only two streets away from Gulf’s family flat. It was close to seven o’clock when he realised that having invited P’ for dinner, the least he should do is have a place in mind to go to but he was admittedly tired and so was P’, most probably. When P’Mew arrived, it was natural to suggest his own favourite soup stall. That place had been there since the time Gulf had attended primary school and he could vouch for the quality. P’ didn’t particularly oppose, mostly because a short walk was preferable to another half hour of driving and trying to find a parking spot on a busy evening.

Also, who didn’t like _tom yam_.

‘But if you had to choose?’ Gulf still insisted, having too much fun teasing P’ to give up just yet. P’Mew sighed dramatically though he was smiling.

‘But you know they have virtually nothing in common…’

‘Actually, I’ve never see either so…’ Gulf admitted quickly, not feeling even an ounce of shame on that account. P’Mew sent him a look of disbelief which Gulf strangely enjoyed. These days, riling P’ up – either to the point of surprise or bashfulness – was becoming his favourite pass time. P’ had caught onto it pretty quickly, but still let it slide every time.

‘You haven’t?’

‘In my house, we’ve only ever really watched classic Thai films so _Luang Ta_ is everything.’ Gulf shrugged, reaching for his own pair of utensils. As if trying to wrap his head around the answer, P’Mew lightly nodded.

Gulf shrugged again, smiling at the reaction. He’d always been a simple guy, so it was a given that his tastes would also be simple. Thai films, Brazilian football. The bowl of hot _guay tiaw reua_ standing in front of him, at which particular smell P’Mew was currently trying very hard not to grimace but was failing anyway. Gulf knew it was the blood which made the aroma so spicy but it was how his paternal grandmother had always cooked it and he got used to it.

‘Which one, P’? Your food is getting cold,’ Gulf urged, still rather amused. P’Mew held on for just a moment longer, before he sighed again.

‘ _Casablanca_ , then.’

‘I knew it.’ Gulf leaned back on his plastic stool, curiosity finally satisfied. ‘How about this? Taking care or being taken care of?’

‘It’s my turn, nong,’ P’ chastised but didn’t hold Gulf’s gaze for long. He looked around as if to gather thoughts. The place was crowded and on the louder side, but neither of them was so popular yet as to draw unwelcome stares. ‘Going to school with your shirt off or entering a temple with your shoes on?’

‘Boring, P’,’ Gulf dismissed almost immediately. ‘Easy, too. No shirt.’

‘Huh? Why?’ P’Mew sent him an incredulous look.

‘People, I can deal with. Gods? I’d rather not mess with,’ he laughed and P’ joined in, nodding at the logic. ‘So what is it? Taking care or being taken care of?’ 

P’ levelled Gulf with an enigmatic stare for a short moment before he looked down to his own dish.

‘I just bought you that smelly bowl of noodles, nong. What do you think?’

‘Always the romantic,’ Gulf murmured in a teasing tone, just to fluster P’. The elder didn’t respond immediately.

For Gulf, it wasn’t exactly just a game he initiated out of boredom over a meal, anyway. Mostly, it was a way to get to know P’ and to give himself time to figure out whether he should give it all a shot. Truthfully, right now Gulf didn’t really feel prepared to be straight-forward just yet. In the initial rush of courage, he’d been almost ready to blurt out a confession. They were words of fondness and attraction which Gulf had the chance to think over while in the car and which, by the time Gulf reached his house, admittedly no longer felt appropriate. It’s not that he wasn’t sure, on the contrary. Looking at P’Mew seated in front of him, Gulf had to wonder why it had even taken him so long to take note of his feelings towards the elder. He’d dated before and while sometimes awkward, romance was not a foreign concept to him by any means. He was usually perceptive to the experience of mutual interest and he wasted no time trying to communicate it to the person he liked. No; it wasn’t that Gulf’d changed his mind. It was all the other things that he forced himself to consider once his head had cooled down a little.

For one, they worked together and the word on the street was, their show might have season two. If things between them ended up not working out – assuming they even got together – that could be at the very least uncomfortable and in a most probably scenario, completely damaging to their on-screen chemistry. Right now, it all felt worth it for Gulf but perhaps in the future, he’d live to regret his haste transparency.

Despite the somewhat obvious positive reactions Gulf observed in the other man, there was even more hesitation and confusion there; therefore, the risk of being rejected despite the already lingering feelings between them was quite high. P’Mew would not take such a commitment lightly, that was not in his nature. There was also _the unmentionable_ which Gulf was clearly up against, since confessing to P’ would basically put him in a position Gulf knew that the elder would do anything not to repeat again.

What about their families? Gulf’s for sure would have quite a surprise. None of them knew about that time in high school Gulf had experimented with different same sex friends on several occasions and he always thought he wanted it to stay that way. Ultimately, it didn’t mean anything even if he was attracted to some of them. At that time, he was just figuring himself out in an all-boys school, much like the rest of them.

His parents would probably be able to accept Gulf regardless of whom he brought over for dinner but he’d rather not risk introducing a man until things were steady enough. Until he was sure it was working out.

Their fans? Chances were, most would support them but then there were also those who would actually frown at a relationship which went beyond strict fan service. It was admittedly a secondary concern for Gulf – he wouldn’t have any qualms pursuing P’ if he knew his feelings were reciprocated – but it still added to the weight of the decision.

Overall, things were just tricky on all fronts.

‘Am I?’ P’Mew asked and at this point Gulf had almost forgotten what they were actually talking about, too immersed in his thoughts and blankly staring into the contents of his soup. He eventually looked up and managed what he thought looked enough like a happy go lucky smile with good intentions.

‘Of course, P’. You indeed seem like a person who’d give your loved one the stars and the moon, even if they didn’t ask for them.’ P’Mew quirked his right eyebrow at the statement but did not comment. ‘Confessing first or waiting for the other person to confess?’

P’Mew clicked his tongue, mostly out of exasperation.

‘My turn, kiddo.’

‘Fine, but don’t call me _kiddo_ ,’ Gulf shot back right away. There’d been a few times Gulf had heard P’ use that word towards him during a conversation. He previously thought it endearing but it had now become deeply unsettling, considering Gulf was almost certain P’ did not use it with similar intentions in mind. Just like during their most recent argument, age had become P’Mew’s way of putting distance between them and Gulf couldn’t have that.

‘Alright, P’Gulf,’ P’ sarcastically agreed but it wasn’t in anger so Gulf chuckled.

‘I actually like the sound of that.’ It was P’s turn to snicker before he took another spoonful of his broth, seemingly not wanting to engage any longer. However, after a moment he added,

‘Confessing first.’

Gulf blinked at the answer. He thought he’d be given another irrelevant choice question again. Out of the ones P’ asked, the one about shirts and shoes wasn’t even the most random.

‘Really?

‘Really,’ P’ admitted. When Gulf said nothing, P’ looked back again. ‘Why? I don’t look proactive enough to you?’ He joked. P’s shoulders usually shook when he was in good mood and Gulf couldn’t believe it actually took him this long to realise it was so incredibly attractive.

‘It’s not that.’

‘What about you, huh?’ P’ followed before Gulf could elaborate. ‘I can’t be the only one answering such questions.’

‘Then why are you wasting time asking dumb ones, P’?’ Gulf countered cheekily and P’Mew actually opened him mouth, lost for words. He eventually let out an airy chuckle, giving up.

‘You can be a real brat sometimes, you know that right?’ Gulf shrugged, grinning widely. P’ sighed deeply, still amused.

 _There it was_ , Gulf thought. _That fond stare._ If P’ knew how he looked at his nong, he’d probably try to reign it in but he seemed to be completely unaware just how expressive his eyes really were. For those who knew what they were looking for, P’ might as well be an open book.

‘Alright, then. Kissing men or women?’ P’Mew seemed to regret the question as soon as he voiced it out. He didn’t usually blush much but his embarrassment manifested itself in other ways. Widened eyes were one clear sign. Gulf himself was surprised that he had managed to catch P’ so off guard that he actually indulged the younger. However, he didn’t hesitate with his answer.

‘Men.’ This time, P’ looked positively shocked. Gulf would cackle if he didn’t think that he was finally getting somewhere and didn’t want to destroy all the progress. P’s astonishment amused him ever time because even after all those months, he still couldn’t seem to get used to what he called Gulf’s lack of filter.

On the other hand, Gulf himself just thought that he didn’t like beating around the bush much.

‘So I’m your most memorable kiss…?’ Gulf playfully frowned at the choked out question.

‘Oi, P’.’ Gulf pretended to protest though he was dead serious. ‘What makes you think you’re the only man I’ve ever kissed?’ When the elder gave him no answer, Gulf continued. ‘I kissed a lot of people in high school, you know. What we do on the set cannot really compare to real feelings or can it now?’ _Unless we kiss with real feelings involved_ , is what he didn’t add. But since he was blissfully unaware of his crush on P’Mew at the time of shooting the series, that ship had already sailed. ‘So I cannot really confirm whether or not you’re a god kisser.’

‘I _am_ a good kisser,’ P’ replied almost offended. The moment he realised he’d taken the bait again he looked away.

‘Alright then.’ There were still traces of amusement in Gulf’s voice. Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy making P’ flustered.

They ate in silence for a moment before Gulf looked back up.

‘So do you always act on your attraction?’ P’Mew frowned at the return to the previous topic, leaning away from the table.

‘Well… I guess. Most of the time, I guess I would.’

‘What would be the exception, then?’

Gulf knew he was digging himself a deeper hole with each shameless question – it obviously looked less and less like a game and more like a conversation with meanings hidden well between the lines. The question was, would P’ meet Gulf half way or would he just dismiss him, leaving a bitter taste on both their tongues?

P’Mew’s smile had now disappeared and given way to a much more serious expression. The calculating gaze swept over Gulf, probably assessing the kind of impact his honesty would cause between them.

‘If they had somebody, obviously,’ he eventually responded in a much quieter voice. He then cleared his throat before continuing. ‘If I knew for sure they didn’t like me back. Maybe if I thought that being together wasn’t worth the problems it would later create.’

‘What if you waited and they were single again..? And they told you they’d liked you back for some time now?’ At this point, Gulf didn’t really care how obvious he was being. In fact, probably the more the better. He stared P’ down and neither averted their eyes, completely disregarding the commotion between them. Gulf held his breath as if it was just the two of them and no other outside noise.

P’Mew pursed his lips, looking at the other apprehensively.

‘You know, I’m still wondering what I’m doing here eating these greasy noodles with you, instead of sitting at my own dinner table.’

‘Playing silly question games with your _nong_ , what else.’ Gulf’s words sounded carefree as he picked up his spoon to get the last out of the dish in front of him but the smile didn’t match his eyes – they remained sombre.

‘Is it about the other day?’ They both knew exactly what he was referring to. ‘If I made you uncomfortable in any way, I am ready to apologise again.’ This time, P’ looked so troubled that Gulf felt bad for giving him the wrong idea. His insinuations were supposed to be taken as flirty, not accusatory but the sadness progressively clouding P’Mew’s eyes told Gulf that he’d taken it too far.

‘P’Mew.’ He put his hand over the elder’s lying on the table. ‘It’s not about the fight. And no, just for the record, you didn’t make me uncomfortable. Your shouting at me for no reason? Yes. Don’t do that again. Anything else? Not really.’ He nodded when P’ looked to him for confirmation.

‘You sure? I wouldn’t want to…’ They’d never talked about it but Gulf could easily guess what just crossed P’s mind. That kind of indiscretion wasn’t something that one forgot quickly, especially if they had a good reason to believe they had been led on the entire time.

‘Do you want to know why you’re here? Because I like spending time with you. I like learning from you. I like talking to you. I like who I am when we’re together. I just… like you.’

P’Mew froze in his seat, not expecting the words and knowing even less how to react to them. Probably wondering if they even meant what he thought they did.

‘Turns out I’ve been attracted to you for quite some time, I was just too busy to notice it wasn’t normal to feel that way about a co-worker.’ Gulf shrugged, trying to make it all more casual but P’Mew in front of him was still frozen so there was no use pretending. ‘You already knew that I’m a forward type. Anyway, once I put the puzzle pieces together on this one, I wouldn’t have been able to hide it for too long…’ He scratched his head, embarrassed.

‘I don’t know what to say… I didn’t expect this,’ P’Mew admitted but the look on his face was neither uneasy nor disgusted. Instead, the disbelief radiating from his entire being fought for the better with utter confusion. He was clearly overwhelmed.

‘It’s okay, P’. I already know that you like me back.’

In truth, it wasn’t something that Gulf was certain of but the tremble of P’s lips and the eventual silence which followed seemed to confirm Gulf’s suspicions. Then again, maybe P’ was just stunned beyond words.

‘Actually, I didn’t invite you here for any big confrontation,’ Gulf assured awkwardly, even if initially that was his exact plan. ‘I just didn’t see myself holding it in for too long so I thought I’d tell you how I felt. You don’t have to say anything now. Instead, you can give me your answer when you’re ready to admit the real reason behind our fight from a few days ago.’

P’Mew opened his mouth again as if to defend himself but he eventually closed it, turning a little red at the sole idea of wanting to lie. 

‘What kind of answer do you expect?’ P’ still asked, looking apprehensive. Gulf smiled.

‘Maybe that you’d be willing to take it slow and get to know me better.’

P’Mew squinted at the response. Gulf couldn’t tell whether he looked troubled or hopeful, but it was probably a little bit of both. Maybe he thought that Gulf was just confused about how he felt because of their constant proximity, in which case Gulf would have to disappoint him because no, that was certainly not the case.

P’ seemed to mould it over in his head for a moment longer before nodding once.

‘Alright.’ It was an ambiguous _alright_ which Gulf didn’t really know referred to what specifically but it didn’t matter. It was a start of something and P’s lack of vehement rejection had to be enough for now. Gulf knew that pushing P’Mew further tonight would not result in anything favourable. Like with everything, P’ would have to sleep on this matter and come round to his own decision.

‘Alright,’ Gulf repeated standing up. ‘Let’s go back for now, it’s getting late.’ P’ nodded and they soon exited the market. They didn’t say anything more but they still walked closely and Gulf could feel P’ observing him from the corner of his eye.

Gulf already knew that P’Mew liked him. Now he could only hope that those feelings were strong enough to win over the chaos in P’s mind that Gulf inadvertently set off. 

But then again, that wasn’t something that Gulf could help him with. Personal demons were personal for a reason.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the feedback on the previous part, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts! Hope you liked this one as well. Have a good day!


End file.
